You might want to reconsider rejecting Mr. Mcgovern's presentation based on one corn-pone joke at the beginning. I found it to be valuable input from a former high ranking analyst for the CIA who is now actively working for peace and against our folly in empire.

"If there are anyone undercover police officers or any members of the security forces like MI5 or MI6 I won't ask you to identify youselves. but I am glad you are here because you might actually learn something about the world we live in and the lies we've been told."

Twist it, create a bit of cognitive dissonance and make them uncomfortable!!!

It was the asinine attempt at a joke about Osama going to heaven and looking for his virgins and being presented with Virginians. That's more the type of "humor" I might naturally expect from the likes of Dick Cheney addressing a private little get together at Bohemian Grove or perhaps for George Bush to indulge in at a Skull and Bones reunion.

I found it cringe inducingly offensive (especially his attempt at imitating Arabic), and I am not even a Muslim. Was sort of surprised to find it coming from someone like McGovern addressing a supposedly progressive (and I imagine public) forum.

Yes, it was a bad joke. This is a man who comes from the inside -- initially, a cold war 'true believer' -- who is now trying to break through with others from inside that establishment as well as the rest of us about the folly of our course. In this talk he is unequivocal in his assertion that the black-ops side of the CIA likely 'took JFK out.' He talks about the slippery slope danger of the loss of legal protection for speaking/acting in opposition to US policy. In the past he has entertained alternative ideas about 9/11 and in particular Minetta's testimony where he slyly approached Minetta at a DC event and relates that he got a "glassy-eyed" dissembling response ("Pennsylvania", Minetta said. My opinion: they got to him) . He has spoken on other occasions about Israel's attack on the USS Liberty and the cover up. In short, Ray McGovern has shown a willingness to throw himself into controversy on delicate issues in defense of important values.